Article holding foldable box



April 11, 1939. .1 s. INNIS 2,153,538

ARTICLE HOLDING FOLDABLE BOX Filed July 5, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet l By 2mm A itorneys Apfil 11, 1939. J- 5 |NN|$ 2,153,538

ARTICLE HOLDING FOLDABLE BOX Filed July 5, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor V JMW A it orrzeys April 11, 1939. J, 5 |NN|$ I 2,153,538

ARTICLE HOLDING FOLDABLE BOX Filed July 5, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 In ven for James /nn is Patented Apr. 11, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to an article holding foldable box, the general object of the invention being to provide a box for holding milk bottles and other articles and which is adapted to be att'a'ched to a wall or other support in any suitable manner and which is foldable so that it will cupy but little space when not in use, with means whereby the box can be easily and quickly unfolded. so that the articles can be placed therein.

This'invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the box in expanded condition.

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the box in folded position.

Figure 3 is a perspective view with the box in expanded position with the lid partly open and the front removed.

Figulre 4 is a view looking at the inner side of the front of the box.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the bottom of the box.

In these drawings the numeral I indicates the back of the box which is provided with the holes 2 for receiving bolts or the like for attaching the same-to suitable supporting means. The numeral 3 indicates the ends of the box which are hinged to the ends of the rear wall I by the hinges 4 and a flap 5 is hinged to the front edge of each end 3 by the hinges B. The top I is hinged to the upper edge of the rear wall I by the hinges 8 and this top is provided with the downwardly extending end pieces 9 for overlapping the ends 3 when the lid is closed. The bottom of the box is shown at H] and is hinged to the lower edge of the rear wall I by the hinges II and a rod l2 forms part of the hinge means and extends beyond one end of the box where it is provided with a handle part l3 so that by manipulating this rod the bottom can be swung upwardly and downwardly. The ends 3 are formed with inwardly extending flanges l4 forming rests for the bottom it as shown in Figure 3. The front of the box is shown at l5 -and has the flanges [6 at its ends for overlapping the ends3. A stud I1 is rotatably carnearby the front. l5 and a lever' 18 is attached to the stud adjacent the inner face of the front and a spring i9 is carried by the stud and attached to the parts in such a manner that it tends to move the lever I8 in an anti-clockwise direction. A link 29 connects each end of the lever [8 to a flap 5. The front I5 is formed with the horizontally extending slots 2| arranged as shown in Figure 4 and headed studs 22 carried by the flaps 5 pass through the upper and lower pairs of these slots 2|. Vertically arranged bars 23 each formed with a finger piece 24 have studs 25 passing through their ends, these studs passing through the other pairs of slots in the front piece [5 and are connected with the flaps 5 so that by moving the bars 23 toward each other the flaps 5 and the ends 3 are swung inwardly to collapse or fold the box. Of course, this cannot be done until the bottom piece I0 is swung upwardly against the rear end wall I by the handle part E3 of the rod l2. A rod 26 extends across the inner face of the rear wall I and has its ends bent forwardly as shown at 21, said ends passin'g outwardly of the ends 3 and having their front ends bent outwardly and headed as shown at 28 for passing through slots 29 in the flanges l6 of the front l5.

A yoke member 3!] is supported for vertical sliding movement on the inner face of the rear wall l by the rod 26 and by a rod-like spring 3| which has its central part passing through a loop 32 formed. at the lower end of the member and its ends held in the loops 33 formed in therear Wall I. It is also engaged by the lips 34 struck from. the rear wall' I and overlapping the rear end of the member 30'. The spring 3| tends to hold the member 36 in lowered position so that the lower end of the member 30 will engage a keeper member 35 extending inwardly from the lower edge of the front IS. A rack bar 36 is connected to the upper end of the member 30 and a flexible member having a knob at its upper end is connected with the upper end of the rack bar and passes through an opening in the forwardly extending fiange'3l at the top of the rear Wall E, the flexible member and its knob being shown generally at 38. A latch member 39 is slidably connected with the under face of the lid l by the guides 40 and has one end bent downwardly as shown at 41 to engage the rack bar and its other end is provided with the lock head 42. This member 42 is actuated by a springlike rod 41* This member 39 is adapted to engage a keeper member 44 on the outer face. of the front part [5 when the box is folded as shown in Figure 2 and when the. box isin folded posilit? tion and the head 42 of member 39 is engaging the keeper 44 the bent end 4| of the member 39 will be engaging one of the teeth of the rack bar 36 so that when the flexible member 38 is pulled upwardly to raise the member 39 and the rack bar 36, the rack bar will move the member 39 out of engagement with the keeper 44 so that the box can be moved to open position or unfolded position and this upward movement of the member 30 also releases its lower end from the keeper member 35so that the front of the box can be moved outwardly during the unfolding operation.

When the box is unfolded the ends 3 extend outwardly from, the rear wall I, the bottom l rests on the flanges M of the ends 3 and the front I5 connects with the flap 5 by the studs 22 and with the spring l9 holding the parts in the position shown in Figure 1. The top 1 can be raised and lowered to place articles in the box or to remove them therefrom. A suitable lock can be provided for holding the lid in locking position if desired. Then when it is desired to fold the box the lid is swung upwardly and the bars 23 are moved inwardly toward each other after the bottom [0 has been swung upwardly against the rear wall I by the handle l3 of the rod I2. This movement of the bars 23 causes the end pieces 3 and the flap 5 to move inwardly against the bottom Ill and rear wall I and as the parts reach their folded position the lower end of member 39 will engage the keeper member of the front l5 and lock the parts in this position. Then the lid is swung downwardly and the head 42 of member 39 will engage the keeper member 44 to hold the lid in the position shown in Figure 2. Then when it is desired to use the box the knob of member 38 is pulled upwardly which causes the rack bar 36 to move the member 39 out of engagement with the keeper 44 and this move- 'ment of the member 39 also releases its lower end from the keeper member 35 of the front 15 so that the spring 19 will swing the lever l8 and the links 20 to open or move outwardly the ends 3 which positions the parts to that shown in Figure l. The rod 26 with the ends 21 and 28 act to movably connect the front with the other parts and act as guiding means for the front. After the box has been opened the bottom I0 is 1 swung downwardly by the handle part l3. Then articles can be placed in the box and the lid closed.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the claimed as new is:-

1. In a box of the class described, a rear member, end members hingedly connected to the ends of the rear member, flaps hingedly connected to the front edges of the end members, a bottom member hingedly connected to the lower edge of the rear member, a handle connected with the bottom member for swinging the same upwardly and downwardly, projections on the lower end of the end members forming rests for the bottom member, a front member having slots therein, studs carried by the flaps and entering the slots, a lever pivotally connected to the inner face of invention, what is I the front member, links connecting the ends of the lever with the flaps, bars connected with some of the studs of the flaps and located on the exterior face of the front member and latch means for holding the parts in folded position.

2. In a box of the class described, a rear member, end members hingedly connected to the ends of the rear member, flaps hingedly connected to the front edges of the end members, a bottom member hingedly connected to the lower edge of the rear member, a handle connected with the bottom member for swinging the same upwardly and downwardly, projections on the lower end of the end members forming rests for the bottom member, a front member having slots therein, studs carried by the flaps and entering the slots, a lever pivotally connected to the inner face of the front member, links connecting the ends of the lever with the flaps, bars connected with some of the studs of the flaps and located on the exterior face of the front member and latch means for holding the parts in folded position, a rod pivotally connected with the rear member and having its ends extending forwardly and bent and the front member having rearwardly extending flanges thereon provided with slots for receiving the bent ends of the rod.

3. In a box of the class described, a rear member, end members hingedly connected to the ends of the rear member, flaps hingedly connected to the front edges of the end members, a bottom member hingedly connected to the lower edge of the rear member, a handle connected with the bottom member for swinging the same upwardly and downwardly, projections on the lower end of the end members forming rests for the bottom member, a front member having slots therein, studs carried by the flaps and entering the slots, a lever pivotally connected to the inner face of the front member, links connecting the ends of the lever with the flaps, bars connected with some of the studs of the flaps and located on the exterior face of the front member and latch means for holding the parts in folded position, a rod pivotally connected with the rear member and having its ends extending forwardly and bent and the front member having rearwardly extending flanges thereon provided with slots for receiving the bent ends of the rod, and a lid hinged to the upper edge of the rear member, and

latch means carried by the lid for engaging a part on the front member and means for releasing said latch means when the first-mentioned latch means are released.

4. A box of the class described comprising a rear member, end members hingedly connected to the ends thereof, a lid hingedly connected to the upper edge of the rear member, a bottom member hingedly connected to the lower edge of the rear member, inwardly extending flanges on the lower ends of the end members forming rests for the bottom member, a' handle for swinging the bottom member upwardly and downwardly, flaps hingedly connected with the front edges of the end members, studs on said flaps, a front member having horizontally arranged slots therein through which the studs pass, bars connected with some of said studs and located on the ex terior face of the front member, a lever pivotally connected with the inner face of the front member, links connecting the ends of the lever with the flaps, a spring for moving the lever in counter-cldckwise direction, a keeper member on the front face of the front member, a spring actuated latch carried by the lid engaging the keeper member when the parts are folded, a sliding latch member on the inner face of the rear member and the lower edge of the front member having a keeper part thereon for engagement by the second-mentioned latch member when the parts are closed, a handle part connected with the upper end of the second mentioned latch member and extending from the upper part of the box, means for moving the first-mentioned latch member to releasing position when the second member is moved to releasing position, and a rod pivotally connected with the inner face of the rear member and having its end bent forwardly to extend over the end members, the front member having rearwardly extending flanges provided with slots for receiving parts of the said ends of the rod.

JAMES SYLVESTER. INN'IS. 

